Piano



Nov. 15, 1949 w. E. JANSSEN PIANO I Filed June 19. 1946 INVENTOR WEBSTER E. JANSSEN (7 ATTORNEYS ww m;

Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIANO Webster E. J anssen, Bronxville, N. Y. Application June 19, 1946, Serial No. 677,703

2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to pianos and refers more particularly to a means of mounting the action of an upright piano with reference to the other parts thereof in order to facilitate assembly and takedown of the piano.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in tfi'K novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of an upright piano, showing a conventional action mounted therein according to the present invention, certain conventional piano parts being omitted as not necessary to an understanding of the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the serrated face of the action bracket foot; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the action bracket foot.

An object of the present invention is to provide a piano which may be taken apart and put together readily in order to permit shipping in a minimum space and installation in crowded quarters. A further object is that the assembly and disassembly of said piano may be accomplished by relatively unskilled workers. The particular object of the present invention is the provision of a novel means of mounting the piano action, namely on the keybed, so that both may slip out of the piano case together and slip back again, without changing the relative position of action and keybed, and with means for establishing the correct relative position of action and strings so that such relative position is always 1 reassumed upon reassembly of the action and keybed with the case and strings.

In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention there is provided a piano in which the sides are detachably con nected to the back, and to the sides there are screwed the arms and also cleats in spaced relation below the arms. The keybed slides backward between the arms and cleats to a predetermined position and is held against forward movement by a dowel extending upward from the front leg, through the bed and into the arm. The bed is thus supported by the cleats and front legs. The action, instead of being mounted conventionally on the piano back by ball bolts and bracket bolts which pass through holes in the string plate, is mounted on the keybed by brackets each of which have two legs, the front one extending forwardly to the top surface of the bed from a forward point on the action, the other extending almost straight downwardly from a rear point on the action to engage the rear surface of the bed. The bed-engaging feet of the brackets have longitudinal slots by means of which, in conjunction with washers of properly selected thickness placed between the foot and bed, considerable adjustment of the action relative to the bed and strings is possible. The coacting faces of the feet and washers may be serrated in order to preserve the adjustment by tightening a screw passing through the foot and washer into the bed. The adjustment once made at the factory need never be changed and the action and bed may be removed and replaced with assurance that the action will always be properly located relative to the bed and to the strings. A further advantage of such construction is that a new action and bed may be substituted for a damaged or deteriorated unit, and while the new action will require adjustment by means of the screws and washers, the operation as a whole is more convenient and economical than shipping the piano to the factory for overhaul. F'urthermore, removal of the key-action and keys may be effected without interfering with the relationship of those elements to each other. The arrangement of the present invention is further valuable as permitting the shipping of pianos in unassembled condition, and facilitating manufacturing and servicing problems by allowing a large amount of delicate work to be done outside of the piano, each of these advantages being realized without the danger of faulty assembly of the elements.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings, the piano side H is detachably secured to the piano back l2 by means not shown. The arm I3 is detachably secured to the side II by screws. not shown, and cleat M is fixed to side l'l against backward movement by cleat l1 fixed to cleat I4.

It is understood that the string plate is fixed.

to the piano back and that the strings are strung on the plate to form the harp. A'portion only of one string l8- .,i s shown, the string plate being omitted as forming no part of the present invention. It is further understood that the keybed conventionally carries a key frame which carries a balance rail andfront rail, both extending from side to side of thebedand mounting pins which extend upward into recesses in the keys, whereby the longitudinal direction of each-key is determined. Each key l9 extends forward and slightly upward from contact with the key felt 20 to the balance rail, not shown, and thence forward in a straight line, the foremost portions ofthe keys collectively forming the keyboard. Depressing the fore portion of any key raises the rear portion around the balance rail as a fulcrum, thekey through capstan screw 21 actuating" its respective portion of the piano action, indicated generally at 22, to cause the hammer 23 to strike the' respective string l8.

The piano action 22 is conventional except for the means by whichit is mounted in operative relation-to the keys and strings. The action frame 24 integrally comprises front bracket 25 extending forward therefrom and downward to an engagement with the substantially horizontal top surface of keybed l6 more fully described hereafter. The action frame further comprises rear bracket 26 extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom to engage the substantially vertical rear surface of the keybed it. The brackets 25, 26- have oblong feet 27, 28 formed with longitudinal slots 29, 30 and the bearing surface 31,

32 of the feet facing inwardly or to bed l6 are formed with laterally extending serrations or teeth 33. correspondingly serrated washers 34 are interposed between the feet and the bed, the apertures in the washers 34 snugly fitting the unthreaded shank portions of wood screws 35, 36-pas'sing through slots 29, 30 and engaging bed ,lfi. Ordinary washers 37 are placed between the heads of screws 35, 36 and the outer surfaces of feet 21, 28. The above construction provides for adjustment of action 22 by longitudinal movement of feet 27, 28 relative to screws 35, 3B and by employing washers 34 of different thicknesses as required, while permanence of the adjustment selected is assured by the interlocking of the serrated coacting surfaces of feet 21, 28. and washers 34 upon screws 35, 36 being driven home in bed 16,

The particular brackets 25, 2B which are coincident longitudinally of action 22 may be considered a pair and four such pairs will preferably be employed in mounting the action, one pair at each end and the others spaced equidistantly 4 along the action. In order that brackets 25 may engage the bed l6 directly, it hasbeen found convenient to divide the conventional key frame into a back key frame 38 on which the key felt is mounted, and a front key frame 39 bearing the balance rail and front rail, not shown, brackets engaging keybed I6 directly in the space between the front and back key frames.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom "within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What is claimed is:

1. man upright piano comprising strings, a piano-action and keybed in operative relationship, said keybed having a substantially horizontal top surface and substantially vertical rear surface, mounting means for said action comprising a front bracket extending downward and forward therefrom and having a foot portion adapted to engage said top surface, a rear bracket extending downward therefrom and including afoot portion adapted to engage said rear surface, said foot portions having longitudinal slots formed therein, and screws passing through said slots and engaging said bed, said action being adjustable relative to said strings and bed; by movement of said foot portions longitudinally of said slots relative to said screws, said actieg further being lockable in adjusted position by tightening said screws.

2. In an upright piano comprising strings, a piano action and keybed in operative relationship, said keybed having a substantially horizontal top surface and substantially vertical rear surface,

mountingmeans for said'action comprising a front bracket extending downward and forward therefrom and having a foot portion adapted to engage said top surface, a rear bracket extending downward therefrom and including a foot portion' adapted to engage said rear surface, said foot portions having longitudinal slots formed therein, fastening means passing through said slots to said bed said brackets being adjustable longitudinally of said slots relative to said fastening means, and washers between said foot portions and said surfaces, said washers and foot portions having facing surfaces grooved longitudinally of said keybed. W

WEBSTER E, JANSSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 11, 1913 

